Improvement in cornets



' 3 Sheets-Sheet 1.v G. G. CONN & E. DUPONT,

' Cornet. No. 199,516. Patented Ja n; 22,1878.

3 Sheets-Sheet 2. O. G. CONN 8v E. DUPONT.

Cornet.

No. 199,516. Patented Jan. 22,1878.

null-nu WITNESSES PQPETERS, FHOTOUTHOGRAPHER, WASHRQGTQH, D

3 SheetsSheet 3.

0; G. CONN & E. DUPONT. Cornet. No. 199,516. Patented Jan.- 22, 1878.

( f if) Mag Rs additional piping.

UNITED STATES-PATENT OFFICE.

CHARLES G. CONN AND EUGENE DUPONT, OF ELKHART, INDIANA.

IMPROVEMENT IN CORNETS.

Specification forming part of Letters Patent No. 199,516, dated January22, 1878; application filed January 17, 1877.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that we. CHARLES Gr. CONN and EUGENE DUPONT, both ofElkhart, in the county of Elkhart and State of Indiana, have inventedcertain new and useful Improvein ent-s in Cornets and other lVindInstruments, of which the following is a specification:

e construct a cornet or other slidin g-valve instrument so that it maybe changed from a higher to a lower key by the introduction of To thisend we employ valve-slides of such length that they may be drawn out tothe'necessary extent when the main piping is increased, and tocompensate for the length which is added to the valveslides to admit ofdrawing them out, as aforesaid, we apply to the valves bendscorresponding in length to the added length of the valveslides, whichbends form parts of the windpassage when open tones are produced, andare closed by the depression of the valves to produce valve tones.

The invention further relates to the use of graduated valve-slides, incombination with the aforesaid compensating-bends, as hereinafterdescribed.

The objects of our invention are to provide a cornet or otherwind-instrument which may be adapted to play in different keys at thewill of the performer; and, further, to construct a cornet or otheranalogous instrument which will produce open tones and valve tones ofthe same quantity and quality by avoiding a change in the direction ofthe air-current when the valve tone is substituted for the open tone.

In the accompanying drawing, Figure l is an elevation of the front sideof a cornet illustrating our invention, with the slides extended and along crook applied, also showing detached views of other crooks employedfor changing the key. Fig. 2 is an elevation of the working partsthereof with the slides in. Fig. 3 is an elevation of the rear side.Fig. 4 is a horizontal section, looking upward, on the line 4c 4., Fig.2. Fig. 5 is a detached view of the several valves, illustrating thecourse of the air-current when open tones are produced.

For the purpose of illustration, we shall describe our invention as usedin connection with a comet in which the air from the mouth-piece andpipe passes first through the third or farthest valve, then through thefirst valve, and lastly through the middle or second valve, and thenceto the bell. In this case the air enters the portion of the instrumentshown at a, and leaves it at 2, as indicated by the arrows.

\Vhen the valves are up open tones are produced, and when the valves aredown valve tones. The air-current, when the tone is open, passes intoand through the third valve A, into the compensating-bend B, from thisagain into and through the lower part of the valve A to aconnecting-pipe, O, which conducts it to the first valve, 1), thencethrough the first valve and the compensating-bend E of the same, againthrough the upper portion of the first valve, thence through theconnecting-pipe F into and through the second valve, G, thence throughthe compensating-bend H thereof, again through the second valve, Gr, andthence through the curved pipe I to the bell of the instrument.

\Vhen either valve is depressed the coinpensating-bend belonging theretois closed by the said valve, so that the air-current does not pass intothe compensating-bend, but into the valve-slide proper, K, L, or M, asthe case may be. It will thus appear that the passage of the air-currentfor the valve tones is the same as that already described in relation tothe open tones, except that it does not enter the compensating-bends,which are cut off by the valves, but passes through the valveslidesproper instead.

The valve-slides are constructed of an additional length to make up forthe use of the compensating-bends. This enables us to tune theinstrument in different keys. The adjustment of the valve-slides isindicated by graduated scales thereon, as shown at 1 2 3 in Fig. 1,which shows the adjustable portions of the valve-slides extended.

The disposition of the wind-passages can be altered to suit the fancy orpreference of the The connections of the valves need maker. not be thesame as we have described. e prefer at present to connect the firstvalve with the third vclve, and the second valve with the first valve,as we think this the best disposition of the wind-passages.

The compensating-bend is not used to change the horn in different keys;but it is used for the purpose of allowing us to add to the length ofthe valve-slides, that we may draw them to suflicient length to put theinstrument in perfeet tune when the pitch of the instrument is loweredby additional length of pipe. We lower the pitch of our cornets bysubstituting longer crooks in the mouth-pipe of the main instrument. Ourprinciple is this: We'first build a comet in E-flat, which may belowered pitch. This bend on the valves is a part of the body of theinstrument when the open tone is used, but is cut off and its equivalenttransferred to the valve-slides when the valve tones are produced.

Thisconstruction enables us to use a lighter piston, and to make aperfectly free and clear bore through the pistons with a much shorterstroke or action. By the use of the additional pipe to the valve-slidesproper we can set the instrument in different keys and tune the valvetones perfectly with the open tones. The direction of the air-current isnot changed when the valve tone is substituted for the open tone. Hencewe have both valve and open tones of the same quantity and quality.

. The division of the holes in our register- Having thus described ourinvention, the

following is what we claim as new and desire to secure by LettersPatent:

1. The combination of a compensating-bend with the valve of a comet orother wind-instrument, arranged so as to be closed by the depression ofthe valve to produce a valve tone, as and for the purpose herein setforth.

2. The valve-slides graduated for adjustment, as herein described.

3. The combination of the valves, the compensating-bends, and thegraduated valveslides, asand for the purpose set forth.

4. A cornet or other wind-instrument constructed with acompensating-bend connected with the valve and arranged to be closedthereby when a valve tone is produced, and with avalve-slide ofcorrespondingly-increased length to admit of drawing the said slide outwhen the instrument is changed from a higher to a lower key by theintroduction of an additional len gth of pipe, substantially asdescribed. 7 p CHARLES G. CONN. EUGENE DUPONT.

Witnesses:

E. O. BICKEL, J. T. G. WARD.

